8 PERENNIALS YOU SHOULD PLANT THIS FALL

Planting perennials in the fall is a simple way to enjoy a larger, more stunning garden next spring.

Don’t wait until the cold winds arrive before installing transplants unless you live in zones 8 through 11, which means you can plant just about any time you’d like.

Ideally, you should plant at least six weeks before the ground is going to freeze solid.

So, ready to get planting?

8 BEST FALL PERENNIALS:

GOLDENROD

Fall can be made even lovelier with the bright, cheery yellow flowers of goldenrod.

It’s a tough, gorgeous plant that looks great despite summer heat and drought, and it isn’t typically a source of allergies – that’s actually a common misconception.

While many people, particularly allergy-sufferers, tend to avoid goldenrod with the thought that it worsens hay fever symptoms, that’s just a myth, as ragweed is the culprit, not this flower, and it’s ideal for fall planting.

It’s one of the last flowers to bloom in the fall, and most varieties grow nice and tall, making them ideal for a border, and they won’t take over your entire garden.

JAPANESE ANEMONES

These flowers are standards in most billowing perennial borders. They start to bloom in late summer and go all the way through frost.

They also bring a refined look to an autumn landscape, with the delicate flowers bursting open atop the willowy stems of the plant, while the pink and white blossoms illuminate a shady garden, particularly around sunset, with the warm light touching the branches of nearby trees.

While Japanese anemones take several years to become established, once they do, they require very little maintenance.

As the petals fall to the ground, they leave behind a seed head, and newly opened blossoms mingle among them, putting on a gorgeous display which generally lasts for several weeks.

CHRYSANTHEMUMS

Chrysanthemums, or mums as they’re often called, are the quintessential representation of fall, well, mums and pumpkins anyway.

There is a wide range of varieties of the plant, and they aren’t as expensive as many perennials either, so they can be a great option for those on a tight budget.

If you’re an impulse buyer, you’ll probably see pots of colourful mums this fall and not be able to resist.

Many are purchased only for a brief burst of colour in September and October to announce the coming of the new season, but with the right care, your perennial mum can provide fall colour year after year.

The key is to get them into the ground as soon as you can and keep them watered well. Once the ground freezes, add mulch, and you’ll have the best chance for hardy, thriving mums.

To avoid wilting, check the soil every day.

If it’s dry, water thoroughly. Depending on the weather, they may require a daily drink.

BALLOON FLOWER

The balloon flower is a late bloomer, not flowering until late summer, but continuing well into autumn.

It’s part of the bellflower or campanula family, but its flowers are more dramatic, starting off as kind of a “puff,” and then bursting open when they’re ready to bloom, in white, pale pink or lavender-blue.

They spread slowly, and fill in without becoming a nuisance and require very little maintenance.

As the white and pink types tend to be paler than many fall blooming flowers, you’ll want to carefully think about where you tuck them in.

They’re ideal near spiky plants, such as Liatris and persicaria, as well as ornamental grasses.

PINEAPPLE SAGE

Pineapple sage is at its best in the autumn, when it sends up spectacular spikes of vibrant red flowers, and puts off an aroma similar to ripe pineapples.

It’s a wonderful seasonal treat that brings a sense of anticipation for the end of summer and will grow into a 3-4ft tall plant, and nearly as wide by the time the fire-engine red flowers bloom.

The blooms come just in time to refuel butterflies and hummingbirds during their fall migration, and if you live in a place that doesn’t freeze, you may get to enjoy the blooms through winter, and possibly all year long.

MEXICAN SAGE

Mexican sage, or salvia leucantha, are both tough and beautiful, and a perfect choice for ending the summer season, thanks to the velvety purple flower spikes and downy stems, produced from late summer to frost.

It grows 3 feet tall by 3 feet wide and is ideal for a garden border.

It’s also one of the showiest plants for containers, annual borders, and mixed borders – and, both hummingbirds and butterflies love them.

They do well in partial shade to full sun and need moist but well-drained soil.

SNEEZEWEED

Native to North and Central America, sneezeweed, or helenium, is an ideal perennial for a late-season garden as it will bring you splashes of colour for weeks, lasting through early fall, even when all your other flowers are fading.

Its daisy-like flowers come in a wide array of colours, from pale yellow to dark red, while the showy petals surround a brown cone covered with pollen to attract butterflies.

The reason it’s called sneezeweed is that in ancient times its leaves were dried and used to make stuff that was inhaled to encourage sneezing to get rid of “evil spirits.”

Fortunately, allergy sufferers need not worry about planting it, as the name only refers to this long-lost use, and the only creatures apt to be affected by the blooms of it are the butterflies that seek out this late flowering plant.

Paired with other late-bloomers, and planted in groups of three to five will create a spectacular effect in your garden.

BEE BALM

Bee balm, or monarda, is one of the showiest perennials, with its distinctive spiky blooms drawing not only bees but hummingbirds and butterflies.

It grows in an extensive variety of colours, including everything from white, delicate pinks and soft lavender to flashy reds and vivid violets.

Plus, the foliage of all bee balm sends out a pleasing aroma too.

Garden bee balm, similar to its wild cousin, blooms in bunches of tube-shaped flowers, some in multiple bunches along one stem, followed by seeds in fall and globular seed heads that provide winter interest.  

It’s best to sow the seeds in the ground in mid-autumn, after the threat of hot, dry, windy weather.

Doing so will bring some beautiful green leaves before fading in the winter.